Outer cabinet and electrical appliance using the same

ABSTRACT

An outer cabinet and an electrical appliance using the cabinet include an affixing surface on which a material to be affixed is affixed. The affixing surface includes an inner groove portion inside the outer peripheral edge of a nameplate as the material to be affixed. The rear surface, which is on the opposite side of the affixing surface, includes an outer groove portion in the vicinity of the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the nameplate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Filed of the Invention

The present invention relates to an outer cabinet that can be effectively used as recyclable resources, and to an electrical appliance using the cabinet.

2. Background Art

Electrical appliances such as audio/video equipment, computer terminals, and office automation equipment are required to affix a material such as a nameplate or a seal thereto, usually on the outer cabinet thereof. The materials to be affixed, which are made of metal, plastic, paper, or other types of materials, show the product name, the product number, the manufacture, and other information. Nameplates are commonly made of metal or plastic, and seals are often made of paper. Outer cabinets generally are plastic molded products or metal molded products.

The material to be affixed is fixed on a plastic molded product in such a manner as to prevent its peeling off and at the same time not to spoil the appearance. More specifically, the plastic molded product is provided on its surface with a recess as deep as the thickness of the material to be affixed. As a result, the entire area of the material to be affixed can be accommodated in the recess.

When such a plastic molded product is recycled as plastic, the material to be affixed is required to be removed therefrom, but that is not easy. Removing the material to be affixed from the recess requires workers to use edged tools, thus taking man-hours and causing a safety concern.

As a measure against this problem, it has been suggested to punch the material to be affixed by a press. It is difficult, however, to punch it as accurately as desired because plastic molded products come in various shapes.

As another measure, it has been suggested to push the edges of a material to be affixed by a tool. According to this technique, the edges of the material to be affixed are pushed by the tip of the tool after forming through holes by cutting walls of non-through holes of a plastic molded product and then inserting the tool into the through holes. An example of this technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H7-131162.

In the outer cabinet of this Patent Literature, however, the non-through holes are partly not in contact with the material to be affixed, thus causing the material to be affixed to peel off from the non-contact regions, and hence, to have low bonding reliability. As another problem, pushing the edges of the material to be affixed is not enough to remove the whole of it because it is formed thin using such as metal plate, aluminum foil, plastic, or paper. As still another problem, it is difficult to remove the material to be affixed precisely enough not to leave the adhesive on the plastic molded product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above-described problems, the present invention has an object of providing an outer cabinet which allows a material to be affixed to maintain its bonding reliability and to be removed therefrom efficiently and easily, and also providing an electrical appliance using the cabinet.

The outer cabinet according to the present invention includes an affixing surface on which a material to be affixed is affixed, and a rear surface on the opposite side of the affixing surface. The affixing surface includes an inner groove portion inside the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed. The rear surface includes an outer groove portion in the vicinity of the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.

The electrical appliance according to the present invention includes an outer cabinet including an affixing surface on which a material to be affixed is affixed, and a rear surface on the opposite side of the affixing surface. The affixing surface includes an inner groove portion inside the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed. The rear surface includes an outer groove portion in the vicinity of the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.

The outer cabinet and an electrical appliance using the cabinet according to the present invention allow a material to be affixed to maintain its bonding reliability and to be removed from the cabinet efficiently and easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outer cabinet according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2A shows an affixing portion viewed from an affixing surface of the outer cabinet.

FIG. 2B shows the affixing portion viewed from a rear surface of the outer cabinet.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the affixing portion taken along a line 3-3 of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4A shows a process of removing a nameplate.

FIG. 4B shows another process of removing the nameplate.

FIG. 4C shows another process of removing the nameplate.

FIG. 5A shows an affixing portion viewed from an affixing surface of an outer cabinet according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5B shows the affixing portion viewed from a rear surface of the outer cabinet.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the affixing portion taken along a line 6-6 of FIG. 5A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIRST EMBODIMENT

In a first embodiment, the electrical appliance is described as a liquid crystal display TV, and the outer cabinet is used as the backcover of the TV.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of outer cabinet 10 according to the present first embodiment. Outer cabinet 10, which acts as the backcover of the liquid crystal display TV, includes affixing portion 40 at its center on which to affix nameplate 20 as a material to be affixed.

FIG. 2A shows affixing portion 40 viewed from affixing surface 30 (in the positive direction of the x axis of FIG. 1). FIG. 2B shows affixing portion 40 viewed from rear surface 70 (in the negative direction of the x axis of FIG. 1). FIG. 3 is a sectional view of affixing portion 40 taken along a line 3-3 of FIG. 2A. In FIGS. 1 to 3, outer cabinet 10 is a plastic molded product.

Outer cabinet 10 includes affixing surface 30 on which nameplate 20 is affixed as a material to be affixed. Affixing surface 30 includes affixing portion 40 having recess 50. Recess 50 is as deep as the thickness of nameplate 20, which is affixed therein. Recess 50 is provided on its bottom surface with inner groove portion 60 consisting of grooves running in two directions at right angles.

Outer cabinet 10 also includes rear surface 70, which is the rear side of affixing surface 30 (on the opposite side of affixing surface 30 on which nameplate 20 is affixed). Rear surface 70 includes outer groove portion 80 in the vicinity of the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20. The term “the vicinity of the position” used here can mean either the position itself or its vicinity. When projected on rear surface 70, inner groove portion 60 is located inside outer groove portion 80.

Inner groove portion 60 and outer groove portion 80 have a substantially V-shaped cross section in a direction perpendicular to affixing surface 30. These substantial V shapes of inner and outer groove portions 60 and 80 are in the opposite directions.

The following is a description, with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C, of how to remove nameplate 20 from outer cabinet 10 according to the first embodiment.

To remove nameplate 20 made of a different material from outer cabinet 10, which is an plastic molded product, a pressing force is applied in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4A to rear surface 70, which is the rear side of affixing surface 30 having nameplate 20 affixed thereon. When the pressing force is higher than a predetermined level, as shown in FIG. 4B, cracks occur in inner and outer groove portions 60 and 80, thereby bending affixing portion 40 of outer cabinet 10 together with nameplate 20.

At this moment, affixing portion 40 is bent together with nameplate 20 in such a manner as to increase the groove width of the substantially V-shaped cross section of inner groove portion 60, which is on the opposite side of rear surface 70 and is at the same time inside outer groove portion 80 formed on rear surface 70.

Thus, affixing portion 40 is bent together with nameplate 20 by only applying a pressing force. Continuous application of the pressing force can break inner and outer groove portions 60 and 80 as shown in FIG. 4C, thereby separating affixing portion 40 from outer cabinet 10 together with nameplate 20. As a result, nameplate 20 on affixing portion 40 is removed from outer cabinet 10.

If outer groove portion 80 on rear surface 70 is far outside the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20, this causes not only affixing portion 40 but also other portions of affixing surface 30 to be separated from outer cabinet 10. As a result, larger portions of outer cabinet 10 are removed together with nameplate 20 and smaller portions thereof can be recycled.

If outer groove portion 80 on rear surface 70 is far inside the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20, this causes the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20 to remain stuck on outer cabinet 10 and to be unlikely to be removed by the application of a pressing force.

In outer cabinet 10 according to the present embodiment, on the other hand, outer groove portion 80 on rear surface 70 is formed in the vicinity of the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20. This makes it possible to remove only affixing portion 40 having nameplate 20 affixed thereon and its surrounding region. Thus, outer cabinet 10 according to the present embodiment allows a material to be affixed to maintain its bonding reliability and to be removed therefrom efficiently and easily, thereby reducing man-hours.

When it is possible to remove affixing portion 40 and its surrounding region only, outer groove portion 80 on rear surface 70 may be formed outside or inside the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of nameplate 20.

Inner and outer groove portions 60 and 80 have a substantially V-shaped cross section so that the pressing force can be easily concentrated on the tips of the substantial V-shapes, thereby facilitating the removal of the material to be affixed. Since the substantial V shapes of inner and outer groove portions 60 and 80 are in the opposite directions, the mere application of the pressing force can separate affixing portion 40 from outer cabinet 10 together with nameplate 20.

Inner groove portion 60 consists of grooves running in two directions at right angles, so that affixing portion 40 can be bent more easily than in the structure of having a groove running in a single direction.

Outer groove portion 80 is formed on rear surface 70, which is the rear side of affixing surface 30 having nameplate 20 affixed thereon. This prevents nameplate 20 from not being in contact at its outer peripheral edge and its surrounding region with outer cabinet 10, thereby maintaining its bonding reliability.

Outer cabinet 10 in the present embodiment allows nameplate 20 to be removed therefrom without using edged tools, thereby improving the operational safety.

Outer cabinet 10 in the present embodiment is a plastic molded product, but may be made of other materials such as metal.

Outer cabinet 10 in the present embodiment is the backcover of a liquid crystal display TV, but may be other electrical and non-electrical appliances.

Recess 50 in affixing surface 30 of outer cabinet 10 according to the present embodiment is not an essential component, but has a function of defining the position to affix nameplate 20, and of reducing the peeling off of nameplate 20 at its outer peripheral edge.

The material to be affixed is nameplate 20 in the present embodiment, but can alternatively be a seal or the like.

SECOND EMBODIMENT

An outer cabinet according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows. Like the first embodiment, the outer cabinet is used as the backcover of a liquid crystal display TV. The outer cabinet of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the structure of the inner groove portion.

Like components are labeled with like reference numerals with respect to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5A shows affixing portion 40 viewed from affixing surface 30 (in the positive direction of the x axis of FIG. 5A). FIG. 5B shows affixing portion 40 viewed from rear surface 70 (in the negative direction of the x axis of FIG. 5B). FIG. 6 is a sectional view of affixing portion 40 taken along a line 6-6 of FIG. 5A.

Affixing portion 40 includes inner groove portion 90 including through grooves penetrating from affixing surface 30 to rear surface 70. More specifically, inner groove portion 90 consists of two through grooves running in the y-axis direction and two through grooves running in the z-axis direction.

In the structure with inner groove portion 90, applying a pressing force to rear surface 70 can separate affixing portion 40 from outer cabinet 10 together with nameplate 20 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Thus, the mere application of a pressing force can separate nameplate 20 from outer cabinet 10 efficiently and easily.

The shapes and sizes of outer groove portion 80 and inner groove portions 60 and 90 shown in the first and second embodiments are one example, and can be properly adjusted according to the thickness, material, or other properties of outer cabinet 10. 

1. An outer cabinet comprising: an affixing surface on which a material to be affixed is affixed; and a rear surface on an opposite side of the affixing surface, the affixing surface including an inner groove portion inside an outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed, and the rear surface including an outer groove portion in a vicinity of a position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.
 2. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the rear surface includes the outer groove portion at the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.
 3. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the rear surface includes the outer groove portion outside the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.
 4. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the rear surface includes the outer groove portion inside the position opposite to the outer peripheral edge of the material to be affixed.
 5. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the outer groove portion has a substantially V-shaped cross section.
 6. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the inner groove portion has a substantially V-shaped cross section.
 7. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the outer groove portion and the inner groove portion have a substantially V- shaped cross section, and the substantial V-shapes of the outer groove portion and the inner groove portion are in the opposite directions.
 8. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the inner groove portion consists of grooves running in two directions at right angles.
 9. The outer cabinet of claim 1, wherein the inner groove portion penetrates from the affixing surface to the rear surface.
 10. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 1. 11. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 2. 12. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 3. 13. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 4. 14. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 5. 15. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 6. 16. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 7. 17. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 8. 18. An electrical appliance using the outer cabinet of claim
 9. 